Molluscum contagiosum treatment

If you are someone who suffers from molluscum contagiosum, then you would be experiencing a viral infection of the mucous membranes that is very similar to other pox viruses. This virus is one that is spread through skin to skin contact, although it is possible for it to be spread through the shared use of clothing, towels, or other similar objects. When it is spread through contact with the skin this can be either of a sexual nature or because the bumps were scratched and then the skin of another person was then touched as well. In fact, it has been estimated that one out of every six people will be affected with this virus at some point in their lives, although it commonly affects children aged six to ten. This is why it is important to understand the options for molluscum contagiosum treatment.

Some doctors will even leave the area untreated with the advice that the bumps not be scratched or touched, the theory is that the virus will eventually go away on its own, but this is often not a practical solution for many as it can take up to two years for it to completely go away on its own. If the virus remains untreated and the bumps persist then a person who is infected will remain contagious until all of the bumps are gone. If you elect to go through treatment it is possible that the skin could remain contagious for up to six months. The downside is that there are a number of various options available, and therefore there is not a single treatment option that has been found to be more effective than the others. The good news is that once the bumps are completely gone the virus has been eradicated in the body because it can only live in the skin and does not reappear unless a person is again exposed to the virus.

One of the molluscum contagiosum treatment options that are often used is known as cryotherapy, which is a means of destroying the bumps by using liquid nitrogen to freeze them off the skin. Although this method seems to work, the downside is that it can be very painful, and it leaves a burned area where the bumps were that can take up to three weeks to fully heal. So, this is not an ideal solution for those who have a large infected area with several bumps. However, it might be helpful for a localized infection with just two or three bumps to worry about.

If you are someone who has the virus over a large area of your body with several different lesions then the preferred choice for molluscum contagiosum treatment could be to use a pulsed dye laser. The use of this laser therapy for the treatment of the bumps has shown that almost ninety nine percent of the bumps have been effectively removed with just a single treatment. In fact, most of the lesions were reported to have been completely gone within two weeks of treatment. The problem is that using laser therapy is very expensive and many times it is not covered by insurance. Not to mention the fact that removing the bumps that are visible at the time does not mean that you have completely cured the infection, so this is something else to take into consideration when you are considering the costs verses the benefits of this treatment.

There are some home remedies that people have used as molluscum contagiosum treatment including tea tree oil, salicylic acid, tretinoin cream, benzoyl peroxide, and Australian lemon myrtle. While none of these has been proven to work, it is still entirely possible that you might be dealing with the bumps and lesions caused by molluscum contagiosum for quite a few months even when you are using these methods.

Last updated on Jan 7th, 2010 and filed under Skin Care. Both comments and pings are currently closed.

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